Flexible article cover



FLEXIBLE ARTICLE COVER Filed Sept. 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.CHARLES EGARDNER ATTORNE rs Dec. 16, 1947. c. E. GARDNER FLEXIBLEARTICLE CQVER Filed Sept. 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. CHARLESE. GARDNER A r TORNEVS Dec. 16, 1947. c. E. GARDNER 2,432,662

FLEXIBLE ARTICLE COVER Filed Sept. 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENNR.CHARLES E. GARDNER ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 16, 1947 FLEXmLE ARTICLECOVER Charles E. Gardner, Queens, N. Y., assignor to Gardner IndustrialAssociates, Inc.,' New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication September 20, 1945, Serial No. 617,478

- 2 Claims.

This invention relates to anovel article cover and to the method ofmaking the same,

Article covers with which the present invention deals comprise aflexiblebody made of sheet stock having a head section adapted to beplaced over the article to be covered and having a neck portion at theopening of the head section which is distensible and contractible sothat it may be distended or stretched over to embrace the article to becovered and then contracted to en close or seal the covered article.Such article covers are used for a variety of purposes such as householdutensil covers, e. g. dish, bowl, platter, milk bottle and steam tablecovers; head covers, e. g., shower caps and uniform cap covers; andother general'article covers, e. g., lamp, tennis racket and steeringwheel covers.

Article covers of this nature have been made by taking a sheet blank ofthe desired size and applying to the rim of the blank an elastic orelastic webbing or rubberized material in such a way that the rim andelastic applied element produces the distensible and contractible neckof the formed article cover. The rim is at the same time so formed as toproduce a finished binding for the neck portion of the cover.

In these article covers of present manufacture, the neck portion is madeeither by folding the rim of the cover blank over so as to enclose anelastic or rubber band, the fold being then stitched to the rimmaterial, or the rim of the cover blank is enclosed in a channel shapedstrip of ribbon stock which is also then stitched to.

the rim material, the ribbon stock enclosing either an elastic or rubberband or being made of an elastic webbing or rubberized material. Insteadof stitching the rim fold or the rim applied strip to the rim material,it has also been suggested to adhesively attach these parts by somesuitable adhesive substance. These prior made structures are attended,however, with numerous disadvantages both concerning the methd ofmanufacturing the cover and the uses to which the covers are put, whichdisadvantages will be apparent upon considering the advantages, withreference both to the manufacturing method and the use of the covers,which flow from the method and the improved product of the presentinvention.

In the article cover of the present invention, the head section of thearticle cover is made of a thermoplastic film material and the neckportion consists of a channel shaped strip also made of a thermoplasticmaterial which is integrally thermoaled circumferentially on itsopposite sides to the rim of the head section, an elastic or rubber bandbeing enclosed thereby at the base of the channel. The neck portion thusformed not only produces its in known constructions the contractible anddistensible neck and opening for the cover and a binding trim for thecover opening, but produces article covers which are attended with thefollowing novel advantages:

(1) A completely sealed-in binding strip or trim is produced for thecover, since all of the parts at the neck portion of the cover areintegrally thermo-sealed together. This is especially desirable when thecovers are used as kitchen utensil covers, since an all-sanitary edge orneck portion is produced, eliminating the possibility of any foodparticles migrating into and lodging in the edge binding or stripmaterial.

(2) Heat-sealing or thermo-sealing the strip or binding material to thebody of the cover material increases the strength and durability of thearticle cover to its maximum condition of wear. This increased strengthis the result of fusing together the thermoplastic film stock of whichthe cover head is made and the thermoplastic strip or binding stock ofwhich the binding trim is made.

(3) A better article cover is produced resulting from the method ofmaking this product, since the binding strip is not allowed to bestretched in use beyond its elastic limit.

(4) Sewing machine operations are entirely eliminated, the weakeningefiect in use due to stitching the material at the neck portion of thearticle cover is obviated, and in lieu therefor a simple heat-sealingmethod of producing the article is presented with a consequentstrengthening of the neck portion of the article cover due to theintegral heat-sealing of the neck portion.

(5)- The product allows for the use of elastic or rubber bands in placeof braided elastic or strip rubber sheet heretofore extensively used,thus reducing the cost of the materials employed in the making of theproduct.

(6) A more uniform article cover product is produced because thevariations due to the human element in the making of thestitched neckproduct are eliminated and production of the product is more readilycontrolled; and

('7) A more attractive and intact highly decorative article cover isproduced, particularly where contrasting colors are used for the headsection and neck portion materials, a very finished and highlyornamental effect being thereby produced.

To the accomplishment of these objects and Fig.

such other objects as may hereinafter appear. my

invention relates to the article cover product duced by the method ofthe present invention;

and of these- 7 t Fig. 1 is a view illustrating the initial step orsteps of said method and showing the arrangement or disposition of thetool and material parts in such initial step;

Fig. 2 is a\view illustrating a next or subsequent step in practicing ofthe method:

ll of the channel strip a are in turn heat-sealed and fused to the rimmaterial as illustrated by the heavy shading It and 2. at the contiguousor contacting faces or surfaces of these parts. The elastic band e is inthis form' of the inventior enclosed by both the rim fold and thechannel shaped strip. 7

In the resulting article cover as best shown in Fig. 7, the neck portionN forms the usual contractible and distensible neck or opening for thearticle cover, and the thermo-sealed or fused considering the method'trated as aforesaid in Fig. 2' is a fragmentary end view taken incross-sectlon'of the disposed parts as shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the step of the method shown in Fig. 2 andshowing a top plan view of the parts as disposed in this step of themethod; v

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating a third step in said method:

Fig. is a fragmentary end view taken in cross-section of the disposedparts shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating what might be.

process consists in considered as a fourth step of the said method;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end view taken in cross-section of the disposedparts shown in the final step of the artic cover of the pres- Fig. 6 isa view showing method of making the cut invention;

Fig. 'l is a perspective view produced by this method;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the article cover drawn to an enlargedscale and takenin crosssection in the plane of the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;and

Fig. 9 is a view corresponding'to that of Fig. 8 drawn to a smallerscale and showing a modified product of the invention made by a modifiedmethod of the invention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings and having reference firstto the illustrations of the produced article cover-"as shown in Figs. '7and 8 of the drawings, the article cover of the invention comprises abody of flexible sheet material having a head section generallydesignated as H provided with a reversely turned part affording astretchable neck portion generally designated. as N, the head sectionbeing made of a thermoplastic film material and the said neck portionconsisting of a channel shaped strip s also made of a thermoplastic filmmaterial which is integrally thermo-sealed circumferentially on itsopposite sides to the rim 1' of the head'section H, and an elastic orrubber band e enclosed by the said channel shaped strip and lying at thebase of the channel, all as best shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings. In thestructure shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the rim 1' itself is folded up and thechannel shaped strip s encloses and is thermo-sealed circumferentiallyon its opposite sides or branches to the folded rim 1, the fold in therim being similarly integrally thermo-sealed to the cover body material.Thus the rim r is provided with the fold in which is integrallyheat-sealed. or

' fused to the material of the cover head H illustrated by the heavyshading line [2 between these parts and the opposite sides or branches land strip may,

.14 and I8 of channel strip s forms also a. sealed-in binding trimfor-the cover opening. Other characteristics and properties of thisconstruction will become evident and will be further explained after 01'making this product. The process of making this article-cover is illus-Flgs. rm 6 of the drawings. which show what may be considered sequentialsteps in practicing the Consideredin its generic aspects and revertingfor the moment to Fig. 8 of the drawings, the taking a sheet blank Bmade of a thermoplastic film material. applying an elastic. or rubberband etc the rim 1' of the blank, enclosing the rim of the blank and therubber band clrcumferentially in a channelshaped strip 3 also made of athermoplastic film material, and integrally therm'o-sealing oppositeside branches the channel shaped strip to the rim material. Thethermoplastic film material for both the sheet blank and the channelshaped for example, be a rubber hydrochlo- 1 ride product, or a vinylchloride flhn product,

. fihn materials are made in variouscolors and in of the article coversheets or films which are generally transparent or translucent. Byutilizing different colored stock for the head section and neck portionof the article cover, attractive two-tone or color-contrasting productsmay be produced. In carrying out the process. the elastic element orrubber band e when applied to the rim is prefe ably stretched to anormal condition of use for the cover. the parts then resulting from themethod then taking the form and shape shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of thedrawings. i Y

In carrying out this process,.the parts may be applied to, formed andprocessed on a rotatable mandrel or drum D (see Fig. 1). This drum D maybe provided in its body with a rubber ring 22 below which the drum isformed with a circumferential groove or channel 24 (see particularlyFigs. 1 and 2). In the first step or steps of the process a ribbon strip28 taken and cut from a supply 28 of this material coming from a reel(not shown) is applied or wound around .the drum D and the ends areoverlapped as at 3|! and integrally thermo-sealed by the application tothese ends of a heated element or heat sealer 32. The heat is preferablyapplied to the ends of the ribbon stock only in the region above thechannel or groove 24 as illustrated in Fig. 1. Over this man drel ordrum D is then placed a sheet blank B made of a thermoplastic filmmaterial, which. as above described, ultimately forms the header thearticle cover. r

In the next stage or step of the process, the rim section 34 of theblank 13 is turned down around .the drum D, the the rim 1 of this partof the ribbon be appropriately drum D with this rim section overlies atleast a accomplished by moving the rately in Fig. 3 of the drawings).

The former f functions to turn down the rim section 34 to form smoothevenly spaced creasin folds therein and also functions for the next stepwhich is to apply the rubber band or elastic onto the assembly thusproduced.

The former f may for these purposes comprise a ring shaped element 38having circumferentially spaced thereabouts the forming fingers 40, 40,the fingers being designed in the form of loop elements which receive avertically movable push ring 42 movable between the full and dotted linepositions shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 2 of the drawings. When the drum Dtogether with the applied ribbon 26 and the blank B are moved upwardlythrough the former f, the fingers 40, 40

(preferably made resilient) smoothly turn down the rim section 34 of theblank B permitting the formation of uniformly and evenly arrangedcreasing folds 44, 44 in the blank material. ihis is best shown in Fig.2 of the drawings.

When the drum D and former I assume the positions shown in full lines inFig. 2 and, Fig. 2 the rubber band or elastic e is placed in the fullline position shown in these figures at the junction between the fingers40 and the push ring 42. The push ring 42 is then moved upwardly fromits full to its dotted line position, thereby moving the elastic elementupwardly and permitting the same .to contract and move inwardly to theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, in whichposition the rubber band causes the lodging of the contiguous parts ofthe rim r and the ribbon strip 26 to move into the drum groove 24 (seeFig. 2). In this stage of the process, the rubber band is stretched sothat when it assumes its last described position, it is stretched to acondition corresponding to the normal stretchable used condition of thefinally formed cover. After this operation, the drum D and the partsassembled thereto are given a further upward movement so as to removethe same completely from the former f.

In carrying out the last described operational stage of the process, therubber band e is applied to the rim 1 of the blank B substantiallymedially of the ribbon 26. In the exemplification of the invention shownin the already described figures, the rim r of the cover blank overliesthe full width of the ribbon 26, but it will be understood (by referenceto the modification to be described in connection with Fig. 9) that thesaid rim may be caused to overlie only part, as, for example,substantially half of the width of the ribbon 26. When the process ispracticed as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 2 the rubber band e is not onlyarranged medially of the ribbon 26, but also above the lower edge of therim 1' so that the same is subsequently enclosed not only by the ribbonstrip, but by the fold that is produced in the subsequent steps of theprocess in the rim 1'.

The next stage or step of the process is depicted in Figs. 4 and 4 ofthe drawings. While the integral thermo-sealing of all of the parts ofthe neck N of the article cover may be produced in one operation, it ispreferred. particularly in connection with the article of Figs. '7 and 8of the drawings, to carry out the thermo-sealing operation in two steps.The first of these steps is illusr 6 trated in Figs. 4 and 4'. Thesefigures illustrate the assembling of the parts after the drum D and itsassembled elements are removed from the former f. The elements of theembryo cover are now held assembled to the drum by the elastic band e.With the parts thus assembled or disposed, the next step consists incircumferentially heating the overlying parts of the rim r and theribbon 26 above the rubber band 6 to integrally thermo-seal these parts.This is accomplished by the use of a roller heat-sealer generallydesignated as 46 which has a. roller heating surface 46, heated androtated in any approved way, which is brought into contact with the rim1- inthe region above the elastic band e, as clearly shown in Fig.

The drum D and its assembled parts are rotated one or more revolutionsafter the heater is brought into the described engagement. This heatingoperation causesthe fusion of the overlying parts of the rim and ribbondisposed above the rubber band and the integral thermo-seaiing of theseparts. When this operation is completed, the roller heat-sealer isremoved from its engagement and its sphere of operation.

The next step or stage of the process consists in circumferentiallyfolding up the ribbon 26 to produce the channel shaped ribbon strip sdescribed, which thereby encloses the rim r and the rubber band e; andin the form of the invention now being described, this operationadditionally consists in circumferentially folding up the rim 1' toproduce therein the previously described fold I0 thereof, in which caseboth the fold and the strip enclose the rubber band e, the binding stripin turn enclosing the rim fold. This step is carried out by rotating theproduced assembly of Fig. 4 while the same is in engagement with aturn-up folding. element 48' (held stationary) formed and channelled asindicated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, so that upon rotation of the drum Dand its assembled parts, the overlying parts of the ribbon 26 and therim 1' located below the rubber band e are turned up into the positionshown to the right of Fig. 5 and shown in cross-section in Fig. 5 Thefold ID in the rim r is thereby produced and the ribbon 26 is therebyformed into the channel shaped strip s, both enclosing the elastic e.The resulting assembly is as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. i

The last step or stage of this forming process consists incircumferentially heating the folded up parts of the rim and the stripabove the rubher band and thereby integrally thermo-sealing these partstogether. This step of the operation is illustrated in Fig. 6 of thedrawings. The drum D and its assembled parts is again rotated and theroller heat-scalergenerally designated as 50 (which may be the sameheat-sealer aforedescribed) is brought into engagement with theoverlying parts of the folded rim 1' and the strip s disposed above therubber band e as is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the drum beinggiven one or more revolutions to effect this heat-sealing operation.After this operation, the heat-sealer is moved out of its engagement andout of the sphere of its operation.

The now completed article cover may be slipped off the drum D andpreferably is turned inside out into the condition shown in Figs. 7 and8of the drawings, the turning being preferred so that on the outside ofthe product only one instead of two added layers is observable at theneck.

In the modified structure shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, the rimmaterial 1" of the blank B is 7 brought down into overlying relationwith the material of the strip 3' so that only a part of the str iscontacted and the rubber band a is ap-'- plied to the assembly justbelow the edge of the rim 1''. The remaining step operations are thesame except in this case the thermo-sealing operations may, if desired,be accomplished in one step. The strip E in this product of theinvention comprises a channel-shaped element which alone envelops the rubberband e" and both side branches of which are heat-sealed and fuseddirectly to opposite faces of the rim r' of the blank material.

The method of making the article cover and the product thereby produced,together with the various advantages accruing and flowing therefrom,will now in the main be fully apparent from the above detaileddescription thereof. The con-' tractible and distensible neck Nforms asealed-in binding trim for the cover opening. An integrally fused andfully sealed-in binding strip isproduced with all the describedadvantages attendant therefrom. A thermo-sealed neck N is obtained whichbecause of the fused character of the partsis strong and durable. Themultilayered and integrally fused parts of this' neck portion producesor forms a reinforced cover opening of such a character that the bindingstrip is not allowed to stretch beyond its elastic limit and beyond theelastic limit of the enveloped rubber band. This elastic limit is welldefined or set by the form or shape into which the parts are produced onthe drum or mandrel, the shape being exemplified, for instance, by thatshown in Fig. 5: The latteris the'normal condition of stretch towhich-the article cover is or should be subjected; and the neck producedby the described method resists any stretching beyond this predeterminedlimit. The durabilityof the resulting product is thereby furtherassured. The heat-sealing operations eliminate the human elements andalso the disadvantages in manufacture anduse which flow from theemployment of stitching operations and weakening stitches in the neckmaterial. The priorit use of braided elastic or strip rubber sheet isobvi'ft'ed and there is substituted therefor a trim thermoplastic binVery attractive and highly ornamental article covers of a verymarketable value are produced.

It will be apparent that while I have shown the method and the productof my presentinvention in certain preferred forms and steps. that manychanges may be made therein without departing from the spirit of theinvention defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An article cover comprising a body of flexible sheet materialhaving ahead section' provided with a reversely turned part affording astretchable neck portion; thesaid head section being made ofa'thermoplastic film material, and the said neck'portion consisting of achannel shaped strip .also made of a thermoplastic film materialintegrally thermo-sealed circumferentially on its opposite sides to therim of the head section, and a rubber band enclosed in said neck portionat the base of the channel. the said neck portion forming a-contractibleand distensible opening for the cover and the thermo-sealed strip form--ing also a sealed-in binding trim for the cover sheet material having ahead section and,

a stretchable neck portion. the said head section being made of athermoplastic film material, and

.the said neck portion consisting of a folded rim and a superposedchannel shaped strip, the said channel shaped strip being also made of athermoplastic film material integrally thermo-sealed circumferentiallyon its opposite sides to the folded rim of the head section, the fold inthe rim being similarly integrally thermo-sealed to the cover bodymaterial, and a rubber band enclosed by and at the base of the rim foldand strip channel, the said neck portion forming a contractible anddistensible opening for the cover and the thermosealed strip formingalso a sealed-in binding trim for the cover opening.

CHARLES GARDNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Schindler Mar. 13, 1945

